This invention generally relates to dust collection systems and apparatus, and, more particularly, to an industrial dust collection system and apparatus for collecting dust material, such as saw dust of wood products, from machines, such as wood working machines, including saws, joiners, planers, drills, sanders, grinders, routers, etc.
Many present day manufacturing factories and shops have a plurality of machines for performing various metal and plastic and wood cutting, shaping and finishing operations. Such machines commonly are provided with integrated receptacles or storage chambers for collecting material chips and dust particles generated during the operation thereof. When these receptacles or storage chambers become filled with chips and dust particles, they are commonly emptied at the machine. Even before these machine receptacles become filled there are often problems with dust accumulation about the machine parts and in the air adjacent the machine.
It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a system and apparatus, which may be separate from the machine, to continuously remove and store dust particles during operation of the machine.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and apparatus separate from the machine which may be used in connection with a plurality of machines.
Another objective is to provide a system and apparatus which is portable and which has separable portable dust collecting means.
Another object is to provide a system and apparatus which is readily usable with existing machines as located and arranged in existing facilities without any substantial modification thereof.
Another object is to provide a complete system and apparatus which is of relatively low cost and which may be installed and used with existing machines without substantial modification of such machines.
Another object is to provide a system and apparatus which greatly reduces dust accumulation in and around machines while also operating very efficiently and quietly at relatively low cost, and being capable of moving high volumes of air at relatively low horsepower.
In general, the foregoing objectives, as well as other objectives and advantages, have been obtained by a system and apparatus comprising a dust collecting and storing means, in the form of a conventional 55 gallon metallic drum mounted on caster means, having an upper dust receiving inlet opening for collecting and storing dust transferred thereto from machines remotely located relative thereto; cyclone chamber means, associated with and mounted on top of the dust collecting and storage means and having an annular cyclone chamber therewithin and an upper dust laden air receiving inlet opening thereto and a lower dust discharge outlet opening therefrom connected to the upper dust receiving inlet opening of the dust collection means, for receiving dust laden air from the machine through the dust laden air receiving inlet opening and transferring dust to the dust collection means through the lower dust discharge outlet opening to the dust collection means through the upper dust receiving inlet opening thereof; forced air blower-type fan means, associated with the cyclone chamber means and having a dust laden air receiving inlet opening connected to the machine dust collection chamber and a dust laden air discharge opening connected to the annular cyclone chamber of the cyclone housing means through the upper dust laden air receiving inlet opening thereof, for establishing a continuous induced flow of air and dust from the machine dust collection chamber to the forced air fan means through the dust laden air receiving inlet opening thereof and a continuous forced flow of dust laden air to the cyclone chamber through the upper dust laden air inlet opening of the cyclone chamber means; first dust laden air flow conduit means connecting the dust laden air inlet opening of the forced air fan means to the machine dust collection chamber for establishing a flow of dust laden air from the machine dust collection chamber to the forced air fan means; second dust laden air flow conduit means connecting the dust laden air outlet opening of the forced air fan means to the annular cyclone chamber through the upper dust laden inlet opening of the cyclone chamber means for establishing a dust laden air flow from the forced air fan means to the annular cyclone chamber and for causing a unidirectional circumferential flow of dust laden air along the outer periphery of the annular cyclone chamber; third funnel shaped air flow conduit means mounted in the cyclone chamber means in coaxial relationship to the annular cyclone chamber and to the lower dust discharging outlet opening of the cyclone chamber means and having a vertically extending air passage with a lower air inlet opening axially upwardly spaced from the said lower dust discharging opening and an upper air discharge opening axially upwardly spaced from the cyclone chamber for providing an upwardly extending separate air flow path therewithin and for causing downward and radial inward flow of dust laden air toward the lower air inlet opening and for causing downward flow of dust through the dust discharge opening into the dust storage chamber through the upper dust inlet opening of the dust storage means and for causing upward flow of air through the lower air inlet opening into and upwardly through the vertical air passage to the upper air discharge opening.